Semiconductor Device and Method

ABSTRACT

A method includes forming an opening in a dielectric layer, depositing a seed layer in the opening, wherein first portions of the seed layer have a first concentration of impurities, exposing the first portions of the seed layer to a plasma, wherein after exposure to the plasma the first portions have a second concentration of impurities that is less than the first concentration of impurities, and filling the opening with a conductive material to form a conductive feature. In an embodiment, the seed layer includes tungsten, and the conductive material includes tungsten. In an embodiment, the impurities include boron.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due tocontinuous improvements in the integration density of a variety ofelectronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors,etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density hascome from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, which allows morecomponents to be integrated into a given area.

Fin Field-Effect Transistor (FinFET) devices are becoming commonly usedin integrated circuits. FinFET devices have a three-dimensionalstructure that includes a semiconductor fin protruding from a substrate.A gate structure, configured to control the flow of charge carrierswithin a conductive channel of the FinFET device, wraps around thesemiconductor fin. For example, in a tri-gate FinFET device, the gatestructure wraps around three sides of the semiconductor fin, therebyforming conductive channels on three sides of the semiconductor fin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a Fin Field-Effect Transistor(FinFET), in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 2-8, 9A-C, and 10-17 illustrate cross-sectional views of a FinFETdevice at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 18 illustrates depth-profile measurements of impurityconcentration, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 19 and 20A-20B illustrate cross-sectional views of a FinFET deviceat various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a contact plug of a FinFETdevice at a stage of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the invention. Specificexamples of components and arrangements are described below to simplifythe present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and arenot intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a firstfeature over or on a second feature in the description that follows mayinclude embodiments in which the first and second features are formed indirect contact, and may also include embodiments in which additionalfeatures may be formed between the first and second features, such thatthe first and second features may not be in direct contact.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

Embodiments will be described with respect to a specific context,namely, contact plugs of a FinFET device and a method of forming thesame. Various embodiments discussed herein allow for reducing the amountof impurities present in a seed layer of a contact plug. By reducing theamount of impurities in this manner, the resistance of the contact plugsmay be reduced, process uniformity may be improved, and the performanceof the FinFET device may thus be improved. Various embodiments presentedherein are discussed in the context of FinFETs formed using a gate-lastprocess. In other embodiments, a gate-first process may be used. Thefins of a FinFET device may be patterned by any suitable method. Forexample, the fins may be patterned using one or more photolithographyprocesses, including double-patterning or multi-patterning processes.Generally, double-patterning or multi-patterning processes combinephotolithography and self-aligned processes, allowing patterns to becreated that have, for example, pitches smaller than what is otherwiseobtainable using a single, direct photolithography process. For example,in one embodiment, a sacrificial layer is formed over a substrate andpatterned using a photolithography process. Spacers may be formedalongside the patterned sacrificial layer using a self-aligned process.The sacrificial layer is then removed, and the remaining spacers, ormandrels, may then be used to pattern the fins. Some embodimentscontemplate aspects used in planar devices, such as planar FETs. Someembodiments may be used for metallization layers, source/drain contacts,gate contacts, other conductive features, or other types of devices.Some embodiments may also be used in semiconductor devices other thanFETs.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a FinFET 30 in a perspective view. TheFinFET 30 includes a substrate 50 having a fin 64. The fin 64 protrudesabove neighboring isolation regions 62 disposed on opposing sides of thefin 64. A gate dielectric 66 is along sidewalls and over a top surfaceof the fin 64, and a gate electrode 68 is over the gate dielectric 66.Source/drain regions 80 are in the fin on opposite sides of the gatedielectric 66 and gate electrode 68. FIG. 1 further illustratesreference cross-sections that are used in later figures. Cross-sectionB-B extends along a longitudinal axis of the gate electrode 68 of theFinFET 30. Cross-section A-A is perpendicular to cross-section B-B andis along a longitudinal axis of the fin 64 and in a direction of, forexample, a current flow between the source/drain regions 80.Cross-section C-C is parallel to cross-section B-B and is across thesource/drain region 80. Subsequent figures refer to these referencecross-sections for clarity.

FIGS. 2-8, 9A-C, 10-17, and 20A-B are cross-sectional views of a FinFETdevice 100 at various stages of fabrication in accordance with someembodiments. The FinFET device 100 is similar to the FinFET 30 in FIG.1, except for multiple fins. FIGS. 2-8, 9A, 10-17, 19, and 20Aillustrate cross-sectional views of the FinFET device 100 alongcross-section A-A. FIGS. 9B-C illustrate cross-section views of theFinFET device 100 along cross-section C-C. FIG. 20B illustrates across-sectional view of the FinFET device 100 along cross-section B-B.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a substrate 50. Thesubstrate 50 may be a semiconductor substrate, such as a bulksemiconductor, a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, or thelike, which may be doped (e.g., with a p-type or an n-type dopant) orundoped. The substrate 50 may be a wafer, such as a silicon wafer.Generally, an SOI substrate includes a layer of a semiconductor materialformed on an insulator layer. The insulator layer may be, for example, aburied oxide (BOX) layer, a silicon oxide layer, or the like. Theinsulator layer is provided on a substrate, typically a siliconsubstrate or a glass substrate. Other substrates, such as amulti-layered or gradient substrate may also be used. In someembodiments, the semiconductor material of the substrate 50 may includesilicon, germanium, a compound semiconductor such as silicon carbide,gallium arsenic, gallium phosphide, indium phosphide, indium arsenide,indium antimonide, or the like, an alloy semiconductor such as SiGe,GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, GaInAsP, or the like, another kindof semiconductor material, or combinations thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the substrate includes a first portion inregion 200, and a second portion in region 300. In some embodiments, afirst portion of the substrate 50 in region 200 may be used to formP-type devices such as P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effecttransistors (MOSFETs), and a second portion of the substrate 50 inregion 300 may be used to form N-type devices such as N-type MOSFETs.Therefore, the region 200 may be referred to as a PMOS region, and theregion 300 may be referred to as an NMOS region. In other embodiments,P-type devices or N-type devices are formed in both the region 200 andthe region 300. In some embodiments, the region 200 may be physicallyseparated from the region 300. Region 200 may be separated from theregion 300 by any number of features.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, a portion of the substrate 50 in the region200 may be replaced with a semiconductor material 50A in someembodiments. The semiconductor material 50A may, for example, be anepitaxial semiconductor material that is suitable for forming acorresponding type of device (e.g., P-type device) in the region 200.For example, the semiconductor material 50A may include epitaxiallygrown silicon germanium, though other semiconductor materials may beused. To form the semiconductor material 50A, a mask layer 53, which maybe a photo-sensitive layer such as photoresist, is formed over thesubstrate 50 using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapordeposition (PVD), spin coating, or other suitable deposition method. Themask layer 53 is then patterned using photolithographic and patterningtechniques. The patterned mask layer 53 covers the region 300 butexposes the region 200, as illustrated in FIG. 3. An exposed portion ofthe substrate 500 in the region 200 is then removed by a suitableetching process, such as reactive ion etch (RIE), neutral beam etch(NBE), the like, or a combination thereof, to form a recess (not shown)in the region 200.

Next, an epitaxy is performed to grow the semiconductor material 50A inthe recesses in the region 200. The epitaxially grown semiconductormaterial 50A may be in situ doped during growth, which may obviate theneed for prior and subsequent implantations, although in situ andimplantation doping may be used together. After the epitaxy, the masklayer 53 may be removed by a suitable removal process, such as etchingor plasma ashing. A planarization process, such as chemical mechanicalpolish (CMP), may then be performed to level the top surface of thesemiconductor material 50A with the top surface of the substrate 50.FIG. 3 also shows an interface 63 between the semiconductor material 50Aand the substrate 50, which may or may not be a straight line asillustrated in FIG. 3.

In some embodiments, another patterned mask layer (not shown) may beformed to cover the region 200 while exposing the region 300, and anexposed portion of substrate 50 in the region 300 may be removed andreplaced with an epitaxial grown semiconductor material 50B, which maybe formed in the portion labeled “(50B)” in FIG. 3. The semiconductormaterial 50B may include an epitaxial semiconductor material that issuitable for forming a corresponding type of device (e.g., N-typedevice) in the region 300. For example, the semiconductor material 50Bmay be or may include epitaxially grown silicon carbide, though othersemiconductor materials may be used.

In some embodiments, the FinFET device 100 to be formed is a logicdevice, the PMOS region (e.g., region 200) has its top portion replacedby the semiconductor material 50A (e.g., silicon germanium), and theNMOS region (e.g., region 300) does not have its top portion replaced bythe semiconductor material 50B, thus the NMOS region (e.g., region 300)has a same material (e.g., silicon) as the substrate 50. In anotherembodiment, the FinFET device 100 to be formed is a high power device,in which case the PMOS region (e.g., region 200) and the NMOS region(e.g., region 300) have their top portions replaced by a samesemiconductor material silicon carbide (e.g., 50A and 50B are siliconcarbide).

In other embodiments, the semiconductor material 50B (e.g., an epitaxialsemiconductor material) replaces a portion of the substrate 50 in theregion 300, and a portion of the substrate 50 in the region 200 mayoptionally be replaced by the semiconductor material 50A (e.g., anepitaxial semiconductor material). In yet other embodiments, the abovedescribed epitaxial semiconductor materials (e.g., 50A and 50B) are notformed, thus the processing illustrated in FIG. 3 may be omitted. Thediscussion below use an embodiment configuration for the substrate 50where the semiconductor material 50A is formed in the first region 200and the semiconductor material 50B is not formed in the region 300, withthe understanding that the example processing steps illustrated hereinmay also be applied to other substrate configurations described above.In the discussion hereinafter, substrate 50 is used to collectivelyrefer to substrate 50 and the semiconductor materials 50A/50B, ifformed.

The semiconductor materials 50A and 50B may have respective latticeconstants greater than, substantially equal to, or smaller than, thelattice constant of substrate 50. The lattice constants of thesemiconductor materials 50A and 50B may be determined by the materialsselected by the conductivity types (e.g., N-type or P-type) of theresulting FinFETs. Further, it may be advantageous to epitaxially grow amaterial in an NMOS region different from the material in a PMOS region.In various embodiments, the semiconductor materials 50A and 50B mayinclude silicon germanium, silicon carbide, pure or substantially puregermanium, a III-V compound semiconductor, a II-VI compoundsemiconductor, or the like. For example, the available materials forforming III-V compound semiconductor include, but are not limited to,InAs, AlAs, GaAs, InP, GaN, InGaAs, InAlAs, GaSb, AlSb, AlP, GaP, andthe like.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the substrate 50 is patterned usingphotolithography and etching techniques. For example, a mask layer, suchas a pad oxide layer (not shown), and an overlying pad nitride layer(not shown), may be formed over the substrate 50. In some cases, the padoxide layer may be a thin film including silicon oxide that is formed,for example, using a thermal oxidation process. The pad oxide layer mayact as an adhesion layer between the substrate 50 and the overlying padnitride layer. In some embodiments, the pad nitride layer is formed ofsilicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, siliconcarbonitride, the like, or a combination thereof. The pad nitride layermay be formed using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD)process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, orusing another process.

The mask layer may be patterned using photolithography techniques.Generally, photolithography techniques use a photoresist material (notshown) that is deposited, irradiated (exposed), and developed to removea portion of the photoresist material. The remaining photoresistmaterial protects the underlying material, such as the mask layer inthis example, from subsequent processing steps, such as etching. In thisexample, the photoresist material is used to pattern the pad oxide layerand pad nitride to form a patterned mask 58. As illustrated in FIG. 4,the patterned mask 58 includes patterned pad oxide 52 and patterned padnitride 56.

The patterned mask 58 is subsequently used to pattern exposed portionsof the substrate 50 to form trenches 61, thereby defining semiconductorfins 64 (also referred to as fins) between adjacent trenches, asillustrated in FIG. 4. Two fins 64A and 64B are shown in FIG. 4, but asingle fin or three or more fins may be formed in other embodiments. Insome embodiments, the semiconductor fins 64 are formed by etchingtrenches in the substrate 50 using, for example, reactive ion etch(RIE), neutral beam etch (NBE), the like, or a combination thereof. Theetch may be anisotropic. In some embodiments, the trenches may be strips(in a plan view) that are parallel to each other and may be closelyspaced with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the trenches maybe continuous and surround the semiconductor fins 64.

The fins 64 may be patterned by any suitable method. For example, thefins may 64 be patterned using one or more photolithography processes,including double-patterning or multi-patterning processes. Generally,double-patterning or multi-patterning processes combine photolithographyand self-aligned processes, allowing patterns to be created that have,for example, pitches smaller than what is otherwise obtainable using asingle, direct photolithography process. For example, in one embodiment,a sacrificial layer is formed over a substrate and patterned using aphotolithography process. Spacers are formed alongside the patternedsacrificial layer using a self-aligned process. The sacrificial layer isthen removed, and the remaining spacers, or mandrels, may then be usedto pattern the fins.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a fin 64A is formed in the first region 200,and a fin 64B is formed in the second region 300. Because a top portionof the substrate 50 in the region 200 has been replaced by asemiconductor material 50A, an upper portion of the fin 64A above theinterface 63 is formed of the semiconductor material 50A, and a lowerportion of the fin 64A below the interface 63 is formed of the materialof the substrate 50. In an exemplary embodiment, the portion of fin 64Aabove the interface 63 is formed of silicon germanium, the portion offin 64A below the interface 63 is formed of silicon, and the fin 64B isformed of silicon.

The example of FIG. 4 illustrates the case where bottoms of the trenches61 extend below the interface 63. In other embodiments, the bottoms ofthe trenches 61 extend above or at the interface 63, in which case thefin 64A is formed entirely of the semiconductor material 50A, and thefin 64B is formed entirely of the material of the substrate 50. AlthoughFIG. 4 illustrates one fin 64A in the region 200 and one fin 64B in theregion 300, more than one fin may be formed in the region 200 or theregion 300. These and other variations are fully intended to be includedwithin the scope of the present disclosure. For simplicity, theinterface 63 may not be illustrated in all subsequent figures.

In some embodiments, a thickness T₁ of the patterned pad nitride 56 maybe between about 18.5 nm and about 21.5 nm, and a thickness T₂ of thepatterned pad oxide 52 may be between about 1.5 nm and about 2.5 nm. Afin height H₁, measured between a top surface of the fin 64 and an uppersurface 50U of the substrate 50 proximate the fin 64, may be betweenabout 109.5 nm and about 117.5 nm. A fin width W₁ measured at the topsurface of the fin 64A may be between about 8.8 nm and about 12.4 nm,and a fin width W₂ measured at the top surface of the fin 64B may bebetween about 8.9 nm and about 13.1 nm. A pitch P₁ between two adjacentfins 64A and 64B may be between about 24.5 nm to about 27.5 nm. Theseare examples, and the dimensions of the features indicated above may bedifferent in other embodiments.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5, an insulation material 62 is formed tofill the trenches 61 (see FIG. 4). In some cases, an anneal process maybe performed to cure the deposited insulation material 62. Theinsulation material 62 may be an oxide, such as silicon oxide, anitride, the like, or a combination thereof, and may be formed by a highdensity plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD), a flowable CVD(FCVD), the like, or a combination thereof. Other insulation materialsand/or other formation processes may be used.

Next, in FIG. 6, the insulation material 62 is recessed such that upperportions of the fins 64 protrude above an upper surface 62U of therecessed insulation material 62. The recessing of the insulationmaterial 62 may also remove the pad nitride 56 and the pad oxide 52, asshown in FIG. 6. The recessed insulation material 62 forms isolationregions 62, which may be shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in someembodiments. The insulation material 62 may be recessed using a dryetch, and the dry etch may use an etching gas such as ammonia, hydrogenfluoride, another etching gas, or a combination of etching gases. Othersuitable etching processes may also be used to recess the insulationmaterial 62.

The top surfaces 62U of the insulation material 62 may have a flatsurface (as illustrated in FIG. 6), a convex surface, a concave ordished surface, or a combination thereof. The top surfaces 62U of theinsulation material 62 may be formed as flat, convex, or concave by oneor more appropriate etches. The insulation material 62 may be recessedusing an acceptable etching process, such as one that is selective tothe material of the insulation material 62. For example, a chemicaloxide removal using a CERTAS® etch or an Applied Materials SICONI toolor dilute hydrofluoric (dHF) acid may be used.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, a fin height H₃, measured between the topsurface of the fins 64 and the top surface 62U proximate the fins 64 maybe between about 52.5 nm and about 55.5 nm. A fin width W₃ for the fin64A may be between about 7.5 nm and about 11 nm, and a fin width W₄ forthe fin 64B may be between about 7 nm and about 13.7 nm. A fin pitch P₂between the fins 64A and the fin 64B, measured after the recessing ofthe insulation material 62, may be between about 24.5 nm and about 27.5nm. In some embodiments, the fin pitch P₂ is the same as the fin pitchP₁ (shown in FIG. 4). These are example dimensions, and the featuresabove may have other dimensions in other embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates the formation of dummy gate structures 75 over thesemiconductor fins 64. In particular, dummy gate structure 75A is formedover semiconductor fin 64A, and dummy gate structure 75B is formed oversemiconductor fin 64B. The example dummy gate structures 75 include agate dielectric 66, a gate electrode 68, and a mask 70. To form thedummy gate structures 75, a gate dielectric material is first formedover the semiconductor fins 64 and the isolation regions 62. The gatedielectric material may be, for example, silicon oxide, silicon nitride,multilayers thereof, or the like, and may be deposited or thermallygrown according to acceptable techniques. In some embodiments, the gatedielectric material may be a high-k dielectric material, and in theseembodiments, the gate dielectric material may have a k value greaterthan about 7.0, and may include a metal oxide or a silicate of Hf, Al,Zr, La, Mg, Ba, Ti, Pb, multilayers thereof, and combinations thereof.The formation methods of gate dielectric material may includemolecular-beam deposition (MBD), atomic layer deposition (ALD),plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), and the like.

A gate material is then formed over the gate dielectric material, and amask layer is formed over the gate material. The gate material may bedeposited over the gate dielectric material and then planarized, such asby a CMP process. The mask layer may then be deposited over theplanarized gate material. In some embodiments, the gate material may beformed of polysilicon, although other materials may also be used. Insome embodiments, the gate material may include a metal-containingmaterial such as TiN, TaN, TaC, Co, Ru, Al, combinations thereof, ormulti-layers thereof. In some embodiments, the mask layer may be ahardmask, and may be formed of silicon nitride, although other materialsmay also be used.

After gate dielectric material, the gate material, and the mask layerare formed, the mask layer may be patterned using acceptablephotolithography and etching techniques to form mask 70. The pattern ofthe mask 70 then may be transferred to the gate material and thedielectric material by an acceptable etching technique to form gateelectrode 68 and gate dielectric 66, respectively. The gate electrode 68and the gate dielectric 66 cover respective channel regions of thesemiconductor fins 64. The gate electrode 68 may also have a lengthwisedirection substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction ofrespective semiconductor fins 64.

FIGS. 8, 9A-C, 10-17, 19, and 20A-B illustrate various cross-sectionviews of further processing of the FinFET device 100. In someembodiments, the processing steps as illustrated are performed similarlyfor both the PMOS region 200 and the NMOS region 300, with somematerials (e.g., dopants for source/drain regions, work function layersof metal gates, or other materials) adjusted to suit the type of devices(e.g., P-type devices or N-type devices) formed in the respectiveregions. For simplicity, a single representative cross-sectional viewalong cross-section A-A of a single fin 64 is shown in each of FIGS. 8,9A, 10-17, 19, and 20A.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, lightly doped drain (LDD) regions 65 areformed in the fin 64, and gate spacers 74 are formed on the gatestructure 75. The LDD regions 65 may be formed, for example, by a plasmadoping process. The plasma doping process may implant N-type impurities(for N-type devices) or P-type impurities (for P-type devices) in thefins 64 to form the LDD regions 65. For example, a patterned mask layermay be formed to shield the PMOS region 200 while N-type impurities areimplanted into the LDD regions 65 of the NMOS region 300. Similarly,another patterned mask layer may be formed to shield the NMOS region 300while P-type impurities are implanted into the LDD regions 65 of thePMOS region 200. FIG. 8 also illustrates the interface 63 between thesemiconductor material 50A and the substrate 50. For simplicity, theinterface 63 may not be illustrated in all figures.

In some embodiments, the LDD regions 65 abut the channel region of theFinFET device 100. Portions of the LDD regions 65 may extend under gateelectrode 68 and into the channel region of the FinFET device 100. FIG.8 illustrates an example of the LDD regions 65, but otherconfigurations, shapes, and formation methods of the LDD regions 65 arealso possible and are fully intended to be included within the scope ofthe present disclosure. For example, LDD regions 65 may be formed afterfirst gate spacers 72 are formed in other embodiments.

After the LDD regions 65 are formed, gate spacers 74 are formed on thegate structure 75. In some embodiments, the gate spacers 74 may includea first gate spacer 72 and a second gate spacer 73. In the example ofFIG. 8, the first gate spacer 72 is formed on opposing sidewalls of thegate electrode 68 and on opposing sidewalls of the gate dielectric 66.In some cases, the first gate spacer 72 may also extend over the uppersurface of the semiconductor fins 64 (i.e., over the LDD regions 65formed within the fins 64) or over the upper surface of the isolationregions 62. The second gate spacer 73 may be formed over the first gatespacer 72, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The first gate spacer 72 may beformed of a nitride, such as silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride,silicon carbide, silicon carbonitride, another material, or acombination thereof. The first gate spacer may be formed using a thermaloxidation process, CVD, or another suitable deposition process. Thesecond gate spacer 73 may be formed of silicon nitride, siliconcarbonitride, another material, or a combination thereof, and may beformed using a suitable deposition method.

In some embodiments, the gate spacer 74 is formed by first conformallydepositing a first gate spacer material over the gate structure 75, thenconformally depositing a second gate spacer material over the depositedfirst gate spacer material. Next, an anisotropic etch process, such as adry etch process, may be performed to remove portions of the first gatespacer material and the second gate spacer material disposed over theupper surface of the gate structure 75 while keeping portions of thefirst gate spacer material and the second gate spacer material remainingalong sidewalls of the gate structure 75. The anisotropic etch processmay also remove other portions of the first gate spacer material orsecond gate spacer material such as those disposed over the uppersurfaces of fin 64 or isolation regions 62. The remaining portions ofthe first gate spacer material forms the first gate spacer 72 and theremaining portions the second gate spacer material forms the second gatespacer 73. The gate spacer 74 as illustrated in FIG. 8 is an example,and other shapes of gate spacer layers, additional gate spacer layers,or other methods of forming a gate spacer are also possible.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 9A, source/drain regions 80 are formed. Thesource/drain regions 80 are formed by etching the LDD regions 65 withinthe fins 64 to form recesses, and then epitaxially growing material inthe recess. The epitaxial material of source/drain regions 80 may begrown using suitable methods such as metal-organic CVD (MOCVD),molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), vapor phaseepitaxy (VPE), selective epitaxial growth (SEG), another process, or acombination thereof. FIGS. 9B and 9C illustrate two embodiments of thestructure shown in FIG. 9A along cross-section C-C.

As illustrated in FIG. 9A, the source/drain regions 80 may protrudeabove upper surfaces of the fins 64. In some cases, the source/drainregions 80 may have facets or may have irregular shapes. In someembodiments, source/drain regions of adjacent fins may merge to form acontinuous epitaxial source/drain region, such as shown in FIG. 9B, inwhich epitaxial source/drain regions 80A and 80B have merged to form acontinuous epitaxial source/drain region 80. In some embodiments, morethan two adjacent epitaxial source/drain regions may be merged to form acontinuous epitaxial source/drain region. In some embodiments, thesource/drain regions of adjacent fins do not merge together and remainseparate source/drain regions, such as shown in FIG. 9C, in whichepitaxial source/drain regions 80A and 80B remain separated. In someembodiments in which the resulting FinFET is an n-type FinFET,source/drain regions 80 may include silicon carbide, siliconphosphorous, phosphorous-doped silicon carbon (SiCP), or the like. Insome embodiments in which the resulting FinFET is a p-type FinFET,source/drain regions 80 may include silicon germanium and may include ap-type impurity such as boron or indium. In some embodiments, silicongermanium in the source/drain regions 80 is formed to have a higheratomic percentage of germanium than silicon germanium in the channelregion of the FinFET device, such that compressive strain is induced inthe channel region of the FinFET device.

In some embodiments, epitaxial source/drain regions 80 may be implantedwith dopants. The implanting process may include forming and patterningmasks such as a photoresist to cover the regions of the FinFET that areto be protected from the implanting process. In some embodiments,portions of the source/drain regions 80 may have a dopant concentrationrange between about 1E19 cm⁻³ and about 1E21 cm⁻³ . In some embodiments,the epitaxial source/drain regions may be in situ doped during epitaxialgrowth.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 10-12, a first interlayer dielectric (ILD)90 is formed over the structure illustrated in FIG. 9A, and a gate-lastprocess (sometimes referred to as a replacement gate process) isperformed. In a gate-last process, the gate electrode 68 and the gatedielectric 66 are dummy structures which are removed and replaced withan active gate and active gate dielectric.

Referring to FIG. 10, the first ILD 90 may be formed of a dielectricmaterial such as phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borosilicate glass (BSG),boron-doped phosphosilicate Glass (BPSG), undoped silicate glass (USG),or the like, and may be deposited by any suitable method, such as CVD,PECVD, or FCVD, in some embodiments. A planarization process, such as aCMP process, may be performed to remove the mask 70 and to planarize thetop surface of the first ILD 90. After the CMP process, the top surfaceof the gate electrode 68 may be exposed.

In accordance with some embodiments, the gate electrode 68 and the gatedielectric 66 directly under the gate electrode 68 are removed in one ormore etching steps, so that recesses 89 are formed between respectivespacers 74. Each recess 89 exposes a channel region of a respective fin64. Each channel region is disposed between neighboring pairs ofepitaxial source/drain regions 80. In some cases, the gate dielectric 66may be used as an etch stop layer when the gate electrode 68 is etched.The gate dielectric 66 may then be removed after the removal of the gateelectrode 68.

Next, in FIG. 11, a gate dielectric layer 96, a barrier layer 94, a seedlayer 92, and a gate fill 98 are deposited for forming a replacementactive gate. The gate dielectric layer 96 is deposited conformally inthe recess 89, such as on the top surfaces and the sidewalls of the fins64, on sidewalls of the first gate spacers 72, and on a top surface ofthe first ILD 90. In some embodiments, the gate dielectric layer 96includes silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or multiple layers thereof. Inother embodiments, the gate dielectric layer 96 includes a high-kdielectric material, and in these embodiments, the gate dielectriclayers 96 may have a k value greater than about 7.0. The gate dielectriclayer may include a metal oxide or a silicate of Hf, Al, Zr, La, Mg, Ba,Ti, Pb, other materials, or combinations thereof. The formation methodsof gate dielectric layer 96 may include MBD, ALD, PECVD, or otherprocesses.

Next, a barrier layer 94 may be formed conformally over the gatedielectric layer 96. The barrier layer 94 may include an electricallyconductive material such as titanium nitride, although other materialsmay be used such as tantalum nitride, titanium, tantalum, othermaterials, or combinations thereof. The barrier layer 94 may be formedusing a CVD process, such as plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD). However, otherprocesses, such as sputtering, metal organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or other processes, may also beused.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 11, one or more work function layersmay be formed over the barrier layer 94. For example, P-type workfunction layer(s) may be formed in the region 200, and N-type workfunction layer(s) may be formed in the region 300. Exemplary P-type workfunction metals that may be included in the gate structure include TiN,TaN, Ru, Mo, Al, WN, ZrSi₂, MoSi₂, TaSi₂, NiSi₂, WN, other suitableP-type work function materials, or combinations thereof. ExemplaryN-type work function metals that may be included in the gate structureinclude Ti, Ag, TaAl, TaAlC, TiAlN, TaC, TaCN, TaSiN, Mn, Zr, othersuitable N-type work function materials, or combinations thereof. A workfunction value is associated with the material composition of the workfunction layer, and thus, the material of the work function layer ischosen to tune its work function value so that a target thresholdvoltage Vt is achieved in the device that is to be formed in therespective region. The work function layer(s) may be deposited by CVD,physical vapor deposition (PVD), or another suitable process. In somecases, the barrier layer 94 may reduce diffusion of work functionmaterials or other materials into the gate dielectric layer 96.

Next, a seed layer 92 is formed over the barrier layer 94 (or over anywork function layers, if present). The seed layer 92 may include copper,titanium, tantalum, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, anothermaterial, or a combination thereof, and may be deposited by atomic layerdeposition (ALD), sputtering, physical vapor deposition (PVD), oranother process. In some embodiments, the seed layer is a metal layer,which may be a single layer or may be a composite layer includingmultiple sub-layers formed of different materials. In some embodiments,the seed layer includes a titanium layer and a copper layer disposedover the titanium layer.

Next, a gate fill 98 is deposited over the seed layer 92, which fillsthe remaining portions of the recess 89. The gate fill 98 may be made ofa metal-containing material such as TiN, TaN, TaC, Co, Ru, Al, othermaterials, combinations thereof, or multi-layers thereof. The gate fill98 may be formed by electroplating, electroless plating, or anothersuitable process.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 12, after the formation of the gate fill98, a planarization process, such as a CMP, may be performed to removethe excess portions over the top surface of first ILD 90 of the gatedielectric layer 96, the barrier layer 94, any work function layers, theseed layer 92, and the material of the gate fill 98. The resultingremaining portions of material of the gate fill 98, the seed layer 92,any work function layers, the barrier layer 94, and the gate dielectriclayer 96 thus form a replacement gate 97 of the resulting FinFET device100.

Next, in FIG. 13, a second ILD 95 is deposited over the first ILD 90. Inan embodiment, the second ILD 95 is a flowable film formed by a flowableCVD method. In some embodiments, the second ILD 95 is formed of adielectric material such as PSG, BSG, BPSG, USG, or the like, and may bedeposited by any suitable method, such as CVD or PECVD. At least one ofcontact openings 91 and 93 are then formed using suitablephotolithography and etching processes. Contact opening 91 is formedthrough the second ILD 95 to expose the replacement gate 97. Contactopenings 93 are formed through the first ILD 90 and the second ILD 95 toexpose source/drain regions 80. Contact openings 91 and 93 may be formedsimultaneously or sequentially.

Next, in FIG. 14, silicide regions 82 are formed over the source/drainregions 80, and a barrier layer 104 is formed over the silicide regions82 and the second ILD 95. In some embodiments, the silicide regions 82are formed by depositing, over the source/drain regions 80, a metalcapable of reacting with semiconductor materials (e.g., silicon,germanium) to form silicide or germanide regions. The metal may benickel, cobalt, titanium, tantalum, platinum, tungsten, other noblemetals, other refractory metals, rare earth metals, or their alloys. Athermal anneal process is then performed so that the deposited metalreacts with the source/drain regions 80 to form silicide regions 82.After the thermal anneal process, the unreacted metal is removed.

The barrier layer 104 is conformally formed over the silicide regions 82and the second ILD 95, and lines sidewalls and bottoms of the contactopenings 91 and 93. The barrier layer 104 may include an electricallyconductive material such as titanium nitride, although other materialsmay be used such as tantalum nitride, titanium, tantalum, othermaterials, or combinations thereof. The barrier layer 104 may be formedusing a CVD process, such as plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD). However, otherprocesses, such as sputtering, metal organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or other processes, may also beused. In some embodiments, the barrier layer 104 may be formed having athickness between about 10 Å and about 50 Å, though the barrier layer104 may also be formed having another thickness. In some cases, thebarrier layer 104 may act as a glue layer or adhesion layer.

Next, in FIG. 15, a seed layer 109 is formed over the barrier layer 104.The seed layer 109 may be deposited by PVD, ALD or CVD, and may beformed of tungsten, copper, or copper alloys, although other suitablemethods and materials may alternatively be used. The seed layer 109 mayalso be considered a nucleation layer. In some embodiments, the seedlayer 109 is tungsten (W) deposited by an ALD process. In some cases,the tungsten seed layer 109 may be formed in an ALD process using one ormore process gases including tungsten hexafluoride (WF₆), diborane(B₂H₆), silane (SiH₄), hydrogen (H₂), or other process gases. In somecases, the process gases may have a flow rate between about 30 sccm andabout 400 sccm. The ALD process may be performed at a pressure betweenabout 1 Torr and about 10 Torr, and at a temperature between about 250°C. and about 350° C. In some embodiments, the seed layer 109 may beformed having a thickness between about 20 Å and about 50 Å, though theseed layer 109 may also be formed having another thickness.

In some cases, impurities may remain in the seed layer 109 afterformation. For example, boron impurities may remain in a tungsten seedlayer that is formed using diborane as a process gas. In some cases, atungsten seed layer may have an atomic percent of boron of between about20 at. % and about 40 at. %. In other cases other impurities such asoxygen may be present in the seed layer 109. The presence of impuritiesin a seed layer (e.g., boron in a tungsten layer) may increase theresistance of that seed layer, which may reduce performance orefficiency of the final processed device. The presence of impurities mayalso be problematic for subsequent processing steps, discussed belowwith respect to FIG. 21.

Turning to FIG. 16, a plasma treatment process 120 may be performed onthe seed layer 109 to reduce the amount of impurities present in theseed layer 109. For example, the plasma treatment process 120 may reducethe concentration of boron or oxygen impurities present in portions of atungsten seed layer. The use of a plasma treatment process 120 such asdescribed herein may reduce impurities in a conductive layer, which mayimprove the conductive properties of that layer. For example, byreducing the amount of impurities in a seed layer, the resistance of theseed layer may also be reduced. In this manner, the efficiency, powerconsumption, or high-speed performance of a device may be improved dueto decreased resistance.

In some embodiments, the plasma treatment process 120 includes exposingthe seed layer 109 to a plasma ignited from a treatment gas. Thetreatment gas may include, for example, hydrogen (H₂), ammonia (NH₃),argon (Ar), another gas, or a combination of gases. In some embodiments,the plasma treatment process 120 is performed in a processing chamberwith the treatment gas being supplied into the processing chamber.Carrier gases, such as nitrogen, argon, helium, xenon, or the like, maybe used to carry the treatment gas into the processing chamber. Theplasma treatment process 120 may be performed at a temperature betweenabout 250° C. and about 500° C., such as about 300° C. A pressure in theprocessing chamber may be between about 1 Torr and about 50 Torr. Theplasma treatment process 120 may be performed for a pre-determinedduration, such as between about 5 seconds and about 90 seconds. Bycontrolling these parameters, the impurity removal from the seed layer109 may be adjusted. For example, the impurity removal distance into thecontact openings 91 or 93 (i.e., depth D1, described below) may becontrolled. Additionally, the overall amount of impurities removed maybe controlled via these parameters. For example, more impurities may beremoved by performing the plasma treatment process 120 for a longerduration of time. The parameters may also be adjusted to avoid damagingthe seed layer 109 or other features. In some embodiments where thetreatment gas includes a mixture of H₂ and NH₃, a flow rate of H₂ isbetween about 1000 sccm and about 8000 sccm, and a flow rate of NH₃ isbetween about 20 sccm and about 700 sccm. In some embodiments, theplasma is a remote plasma that is generated in a separate plasmageneration chamber connected to the processing chamber. The treatmentgas may be activated into plasma by any suitable method of generatingthe plasma, such as transformer coupled plasma generator, inductivelycoupled plasma systems, magnetically enhanced reactive ion techniques,electron cyclotron resonance techniques, or the like.

FIG. 17 illustrates the seed layer 109 after the plasma treatmentprocess 120 in which impurities have been removed from an upper portion111A of the seed layer 109 by the plasma treatment process 120. As shownin FIG. 17, the plasma treatment process 120 may remove some or all ofthe impurities within an upper portion 111A of the seed layer 109 whileremoving few or none of the impurities within a lower portion 111B ofthe seed layer 109. In some embodiments, the plasma treatment process120 may reduce the concentration of impurities in an upper portion 111Aby between about 5% and about 20%. In some cases, the plasma treatmentprocess 120 may remove impurities from an upper portion 111A of the seedlayer 109 that extends a depth D1 from a top surface of the seed layer109, as shown in FIG. 17. The depth D1 may be a depth between about 20nm and about 100 nm in some embodiments. In some embodiments, thevertical height of the upper portion 111A (i.e., depth D1) may bebetween about 10% and about 50% of the vertical height of the seed layer109 (i.e., upper portion 111A and lower portion 111B combined). In somecases, impurities may be removed from multiple portions having differentdepths.

FIG. 17 illustrates an abrupt interface between an example upper portion111A having more impurities removed and an example lower portion 111Bhaving fewer impurities removed, but an interface between an upperportion 111A and a lower portion 111B may be gradual, discontinuous,irregular, etc. in other cases. For example, a distribution of removedimpurities in seed layer 109 may be a gradient, have one or more steps,be irregular, etc. in some cases. In some embodiments, the plasmatreatment process 120 may remove impurities from the entirety of seedlayer 109. In some embodiments, the plasma treatment process 120 mayremove impurities from top portions of the seed layer 109 (i.e., thoseover top surfaces of the second ILD 95) while not removing impuritiesfrom portions of the seed layer 109 within openings 91, 93. In someembodiments, the amounts and distributions of impurity removal may beadjusted by controlling parameters of the plasma treatment process 120,such as plasma power, flow rate of the treatment gas, duration of theplasma exposure, temperature, etc. In this manner, the plasma treatmentprocess 120 may remove different amounts of impurities from differentportions of a conductive layer such as a seed layer.

FIG. 18 illustrates example measurements of impurity concentration in aseed layer. The curves 210 and 220 are measurements of relative boronconcentration versus depth of two samples. Curves 210 and 220 weremeasured using the technique of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)combined with sputtering. The region 230 indicated in FIG. 18corresponds to the location of a tungsten seed layer. For the sample ofcurve 210, a plasma treatment process was performed on the tungsten seedlayer. For the sample of curve 220, no plasma treatment process wasperformed on the tungsten seed layer. As shown in FIG. 18, the curve 210with the plasma treatment has less boron impurities in the tungsten seedlayer than the curve 220 without the plasma treatment. For the exampleshown in FIG. 18, in some instances, the plasma treatment process hasreduced the concentration of boron impurities as much as approximately10-15%. The curves 210 and 220 shown in FIG. 18 are an illustrativeexample, and a plasma treatment process such as that described hereinmay reduce a impurity concentration a different amount in other cases.

Turning to FIG. 19, once the seed layer 109 has been formed, aconductive material 110 may be formed onto the seed layer 109 to fillthe contact openings 91/93. The conductive material 110 may includetungsten, although other suitable materials such as aluminum, copper,tungsten nitride, rhuthenium, silver, gold, rhodium, molybdenum, nickel,cobalt, cadmium, zinc, alloys of these, combinations thereof, and thelike, may also be used. Any suitable deposition method may be used toform the conductive material 110, such as PVD, CVD, ALD, plating (e.g.,electroplating), reflow, or another method.

Referring next to FIG. 20A, once the contact openings 91/93 have beenfilled, excess barrier layer 104, seed layer 109, and conductivematerial 110 outside of the contact openings 91/93 are removed through aplanarization process such as CMP, although any suitable removal processmay be used. Contact plugs 102 are thus formed in the contact openings91/93. Although contact plugs 102 over the source/drain regions 80 andover the replacement gate 97 are illustrated in a same cross-section inFIG. 20A, the contact plugs 102 may be in different cross-sections inthe FinFET device 100.

FIG. 20B illustrates the cross-sectional view of the FinFET device 100shown in FIG. 20A, but along cross-section B-B, in some embodiments. InFIG. 20B, a first replacement gate 99A (including a gate dielectric 96,barrier layer 94, seed layer 92, and gate fill 98A) is formed over thefin 64A, and a second replacement gate 99B (including a gate dielectric96, barrier layer 94, seed layer 92, and gate fill 98B) is formed overthe fin 64B. The first replacement gate 99A is separated from the secondreplacement gate 99B by the first ILD 90. In the example shown in FIG.20B, one contact plug 102 is electrically coupled to the gate fill 98A,and another contact plug 102 is electrically coupled to the gate fill98B.

Although not shown, the gate spacers 74 (see, for example, FIG. 10) maybe formed between the replacement gates 99A and 99B and the first ILD 90in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 20B. For example, the gate spacers74 may be formed along the two sidewalls of the first replacement gate99A and along the two sidewalls of the second replacement gate 99B inthe cross-sectional view of FIG. 20B. In such embodiments, the gatespacers 74 may be formed between the first replacement gate 99A and thesecond replacement gate 99B. In some embodiments, the gate spacers 74are not formed between the first replacement gate 99A and the secondreplacement gate 99B, but are formed on exterior sidewalls (e.g., theleftmost sidewall of the first replacement gate 99A and the rightmostsidewall of the second replacement gate 99B in FIG. 20B) of thereplacement gates 99A and 99B. In yet other embodiments, the gatespacers 74 are not formed in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 20B. Theseand other variations of the gate spacers 74 are fully intended to beincluded within the scope of the present disclosure.

Variations and modifications to the present disclosure are possible andare fully intended to be included within the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, more than one fins may be formed in each of theregions 200 and 300, and more than one gates may be formed over the fins64. The formation of the fins 64 may include other processing steps, andthe materials of the fins 64A and 64B may or may not be the same. Inaddition, in the replacement gate process discussed above, dummy gatestructures 75A and 75B are separated from each other before beingreplaced by replacement gates 97. In other embodiments, it is possibleto form a dummy gate structure that extends continuously from the fin64A to the fin 64B, then replacing the dummy gate structure with areplacement gate that extends continuously from the fin 64A to the fin64B, and subsequently, the replacement gate is cut (e.g., by etching anopening between the fins 64A and 64B, and filling the opening with adielectric material) to form two separate replacement gates (one on eachof the fins 64A and 64B). These and other variations are fully intendedto be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Turning to FIG. 21, a portion of an example contact plug afterplanarization is shown. For example, FIG. 21 may show a portion ofcontact plug 102 as indicated by the labeled box in FIG. 20A. In somecases, during a CMP process, a metal layer with a higher concentrationof impurities may be removed at a greater rate than a metal layer with alower concentration of impurities. For example, a greater concentrationof boron impurities in a tungsten seed layer can increase the removalrate of the tungsten seed layer during a CMP process. Due to theincreased removal rate, pits or recesses may form in the metal layer inlocations where an excess of the metal layer has removed. For example,the seed layer 109 shown in FIG. 21 has recesses 113 formed during aplanarization process, such as that described above with respect toFIGS. 20A-B. In some cases, recesses in a seed layer can reduce thecontact area between the seed layer and a conductive material formed onthe seed layer, which can increase resistance. Additionally, recesses ina seed layer can cause subsequent processing defects. For example,subsequently deposited material may not fully fill the recesses, or therecesses may result in overetching of the recessed portions of the seedlayer.

Accordingly, by reducing the amount of impurities in a seed layer usingthe plasma treatment process as described herein, recesses formed in theseed layer during planarization may be reduced or eliminated. Forexample, plasma treatment process 120 may reduce the concentration ofimpurities in seed layer 109 such that a depth D2 of recesses 113 isreduced. In some cases, recesses 113 in a plasma-treated seed layer 109may have a depth D2 of about 2 nm or less. In this manner, reducing theimpurities in a seed layer using a plasma treatment process may alsoimprove process uniformity and reduce the risk of process defects.

Embodiments may achieve advantages. By reducing impurities in a seedlayer using a plasma treatment process, the resistance of the seed layermay be reduced. Reducing the resistance in this manner may improvedevice performance, efficiency, and speed. Reducing impurities in a seedlayer may also reduce processing defects, and thus can improve yield.The techniques described herein may be used to during the processing ofany suitable conductive feature, such as conductive lines, plugs,contacts, or the like.

In an embodiment, a method includes forming an opening in a dielectriclayer, depositing a seed layer in the opening, wherein first portions ofthe seed layer have a first concentration of impurities, exposing thefirst portions of the seed layer to a plasma, wherein after exposure tothe plasma the first portions have a second concentration of impuritiesthat is less than the first concentration of impurities, and filling theopening with a conductive material to form a conductive feature. In anembodiment, the seed layer includes tungsten. In an embodiment,depositing the seed layer includes using an Atomic Layer Deposition(ALD) process. In an embodiment, the ALD process uses B₂H₆ as a processgas. In an embodiment, the impurities include boron. In an embodiment,the plasma includes a plasma of ammonia (NH₃). In an embodiment, theconductive material includes tungsten. In an embodiment, the methodfurther includes depositing a barrier layer in the opening. In anembodiment, the method further includes planarizing the seed layer andthe conductive material. In an embodiment, the conductive feature is aFinFET gate contact.

In an embodiment, a method includes forming a dielectric material over asubstrate, forming an opening in the dielectric material, forming aconductive seed layer in the opening and over the dielectric material,removing impurities from first portions of the seed layer, forming aconductive material in the opening and over the first portions of theseed layer, and performing a planarization process to remove secondportions of the seed layer disposed over the dielectric material. In anembodiment, the seed layer comprises tungsten. In an embodiment, theimpurities comprise boron. In an embodiment, removing impurities fromfirst portions of the seed layer includes igniting a treatment gas intoa plasma and exposing the first portions of the seed layer to theplasma. In an embodiment, the treatment gas includes ammonia (NH₃).

In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a dielectric layer anda contact plug in the dielectric layer. The contact plug includes aconductive material and a conductive layer along sidewalls of theconductive material, a first portion of the conductive layer proximal afirst end of the conductive material including a first concentration ofimpurities, a second portion of the conductive layer proximal a secondend of the conductive material including a second concentration ofimpurities, wherein the first end of the conductive material is oppositethe second end of the conductive material, and wherein the secondconcentration of impurities is less than the first concentration ofimpurities. In an embodiment, the contact plug is a source/drain contactof a FinFET device. In an embodiment, the conductive layer is anucleation layer. In an embodiment, the impurities include boron. In anembodiment, the conductive layer includes tungsten.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

1. A method comprising: forming an opening in a dielectric layer;depositing a seed layer in the opening, the seed layer comprising firstportions and second portions, wherein the first portions of the seedlayer are closer to a top surface of the dielectric layer than thesecond portions of the seed layer, wherein the first portions of theseed layer have a first concentration of impurities, and wherein thesecond portions of the seed layer have the first concentration ofimpurities; exposing the first portions of the seed layer to a plasma,wherein after exposing the first portions of the seed layer to theplasma the first portions have a second concentration of impurities thatis less than the first concentration of impurities and the secondportions of the seed layer have the first concentration of impurities;and filling the opening with a conductive material to form a conductivefeature.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the seed layer comprisestungsten.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the seed layercomprises using an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) process.
 4. The methodof claim 3, wherein the ALD process uses B₆H₆ as a process gas.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first concentration of impurities isbetween about 5% and about 20% greater than the second concentration ofimpurities.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma comprisesplasma of ammonia (NH₃).
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theconductive material comprises tungsten.
 8. The method of claim 1,further comprising depositing a barrier layer in the opening.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising planarizing the seed layer and theconductive material.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstportions of the seed layer are exposed to the plasma at a temperaturebetween about 250° C. and about 500° C.
 11. A method comprising: forminga dielectric material over a substrate; forming an opening in thedielectric material; forming a conductive seed layer in the opening andover the dielectric material, the seed layer comprising first portionsin the opening and second portions over the dielectric material;removing impurities from the first portions of the seed layer and fromthe second portions of the seed layer, wherein a greater amount ofimpurities are removed from the second portions than from the firstportions; forming a conductive material in the opening and over thefirst portions of the seed layer; and performing a planarization processto remove the second portions of the seed layer.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein the second portions of the seed layer extend into theopening a distance between about 20 nm and about 100 nm.
 13. The methodof claim 11, wherein the impurities comprise boron.
 14. The method ofclaim 11, wherein removing impurities from the second portions of theseed layer comprises: igniting a treatment gas into plasma; and exposingthe second portions of the seed layer to the plasma.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the treatment gas comprises ammonia (NH₃). 16-20.(canceled)
 21. A method comprising: forming a semiconductor fin on asubstrate; forming a source/drain region in the semiconductor fin;depositing a dielectric layer over the source/drain region; forming anopening in the dielectric layer to expose portions of the source/drainregion; and forming a contact plug in the opening, comprising:depositing a first conductive material over surfaces of the dielectriclayer and over the exposed portions of the source/drain region, thefirst conductive material comprising a first region and a second region,the first region being farther from the substrate than the secondregion; performing a plasma treatment process on the first conductivematerial, wherein after performing the plasma treatment process, thefirst region of the first conductive material has a lower concentrationof impurities than the second region; and after performing the plasmatreatment process, depositing a second conductive material on the firstconductive material.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprisingdepositing a barrier layer over surfaces of the dielectric layer andover the exposed portions of the source/drain region prior to depositingthe first conductive material.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein thefirst conductive material comprises a nucleation layer.
 24. The methodof claim 21, wherein the impurities comprise boron.
 25. The method ofclaim 21, wherein the second conductive material comprises tungsten.